Coffee Ice Cream (Dairy Free)

What's not to like about making my own ice cream? Not a single thing!!!

I came up with the coffee ice cream recipe many moons ago. The original recipe was made with dairy condensed milk, so I wasn't inspired to blog about it. For one thing, I didn't wanna blog about dairy ice cream. I mean, I can just buy dairy ice cream pretty much anywhere. I wanna share allergy-friendly recipes. You know, the food that I can't find in the stores. The food that I have to make it on my own.

Months ago, I found coconut condensed milk while browsing the health food store. Right then and there, I had a lightbulb moment. Dairy free coffee ice cream for Brek. DONE!!!

What's else to blog about. Let's do it!!! With less than 20 minutes, I present you... dairy free coffee ice cream. And by all mean, sprinkle some crispy bacon on top. I did, and it was... well, you try it and let me know how you like it. Or try other toppings. The possibilities of adds-in are endless.

Coffee Ice Cream (Dairy Free)
serving 4 - 6

2 1/2 cups (20 oz.) coconut cream
2/3 cup (5 oz.) coconut condensed milk
2 Tablespoons (0.3 oz.) instant coffee granules
crispy bacon or your favorite toppings (optional)

Use the ice cream maker

1. In a large (4 oz.) cup with a spout, whisk all of the ingredients together.
2. Pour the coffee mixture into the ice cream maker's freezer bowl.
3. Turn on the machine and allow the coffee mixture to churn for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Enjoy the soft serve coffee ice cream right away, or scoop it into a freezable container and freeze it for an hour or overnight.

No ice cream maker? No worries...

1. In a large bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together.
2. Transfer the coffee mixture to the freezable container.
3. Freeze the coffee mixture for an hour.
4. Take out the soft serve coffee ice cream and beat it with a fork.
5. Put the coffee ice cream back in the freezer.
6. Freeze it for four hours or overnight before serving. Enjoy it with your fav toppings!!!

STORING: Keep the coffee ice cream in an airtight freezable container for up to 3 months.

Allergy Info: This coffee ice cream is free from dairy, egg, corn, legumes (soy and peanuts), wheat, nuts (not coconut), and fish. I've used Aroy-D coconut cream, Nature's Charm coconut condensed milk, and Trader Joe's 100% Columbian Instant Coffee.

Strawberry Banana Spinach Smootie

It's one of those days when goat milk is about to expire. Why do I always have this "about to expire" dilemma? With frozen strawberries and bananas, I asked my kids, "You guys want strawberry banana smoothie?" SURE!!!

My friend, Krissy, told me many times to add spinach to smoothie since they don't have any taste while they are healthy. So I added a few leaves into their smoothie. I asked my kids if they could guess the secret ingredients.

My kids couldn't tell. Camden drank half of his smoothie then sauntered into the kitchen to ask me what the secret ingredient was. After I told him it was spinach, he said he felt sick from the smoothie and could not finish it because of the spinach. I pointed out that he already drank half of it.

The point is... some kids (even grown ups) have some sort of psychological issue when it comes to food. I bet Camden would finish his smoothie if he didn't realize spinach leaves were added in. But I honestly tell my kids what they are eating. Why not. They need to know what they eat. If they like or dislike what they eat, then they can decide if they want them again next time.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie
serve 2-3

1 cups organic strawberries, frozen
1 medium banana, frozen
5-7 organic baby spinach leaves, stemmed
goat milk
agave to taste

1. Add strawberries and banana into blender.
2. Turn the blender on low while adding milk to the preference consistency.
3. Add agave to taste.
4. Serve with more frozen sliced strawberries. Enjoy!!!

Allergy Info: This smoothie is free from dairy (not goat), egg, corn, wheat, legumes (peanuts and soy), and fish. Look for frozen fruits without added additives like citric acid. For bananas, peel and cut into big chunks and free them for future smoothie.

Nut Milk

If you're like me, you would want to purchase certain thing prepackaged. Save time to do other activities. Like almond milk.

For the life of me, I thought nut milk was difficult to make. After searching on line and reading variety of cookbooks, the recipes were pretty much the same. Nuts and water. Yeah, no kidding.

The idea is to soak the nuts until they get pretty soft. Then whirring the soft nuts with water in a blender. That's pretty much it. And the best thing about making my own nut milk is what I add in the blender is what I get.

Check out the prepackaged nut milk where a lot of other ingredients are added, like oil. I have no idea why would oil needed in milk. I mean, do you add oil to a bowl of cereal? I certainly don't want it in mine.






Nut Milk
makes as much milk as you like

1 part preferred nuts, such as hazel, cashew, or almonds
3 parts filtered water

For example, 1 cup of cashew to 3 cups of water would make 3 cups of cashew milk.

1. In a large container, soak the nuts in the water.
   NOTE: Rinsing the nuts before soaking them is optional.
2. Put the container in a fridge overnight.
   NOTE: There is no need to cover the container.
3. The next day, add nuts and its water into the blender.
4. Blend the nuts until creamy white, about 2-3 minutes.
5. Put the strainer over a large container.
6. Pour the nut milk over the strainer.
7. Using the back of a spoon, press out the nut milk, scrapping the bottom of the strainer to get the nut cream.
8. Nut milk is ready to enjoy as is. Add a little sweetener, such as agave or honey, is optional.

STORING: Keep nut milk in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Allergy Info: This nut milk recipe is free from dairy, egg, corn, wheat, legumes (peanuts and soy), and fish. When buying nuts, be sure to read the label carefully as some packaging will have a fine print of "manufactured in a facility that processes... (dairy, wheat, eggs, etc.).

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Years ago, Brek ordered a frozen hot chocolate for his afternoon snack. I was watching how the staff was making the drink and was super surprised with what she was blending together: milk, ice cubes, and a package of hot chocolate mix. Wanna guess how much it cost? Over four dollars. Yeah, no kidding.

I've been thinking about making my own frozen hot chocolate after that experience but never really gotten around to test a recipe. So a few weeks ago, I decided to make some, just because the outdoor temperature was hitting a 3-digit here in Texas.

I can't remember the last time I bought a prepackaged hot chocolate mix, but I knew it was a lot more than just cocoa powder. Something like "maltodextrin" or whatever the ingredients that I never knew existed.

So I just winged it, blending together nut milk, crush ice, cocoa powder, and a touch of instant espresso. For sweetener, I decided to try agave.

My frozen hot chocolate was an A-plus for awesome. The drink tasted just like hot chocolate. The favorite part was sipping the cold chocolate milk and getting the tiny ice. And you know what? It probably costs less than a dime.

This frozen hot chocolate is perfect for a hot summer day. Plus, school is almost in session so why not make this drink for your kids. If you ask me, I'd make this drink just for myself.

P.S. Camden would like to warn you to drink slowly to prevent brain freeze!!!

Frozen Hot Chocolate
serve 1 (or 2 for tiny tummies)

1/2 cup preferred milk (goat, nut, or rice)
1 1/2 cups crunch ice
1/2 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso (optional)
Agave to taste

1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender.
2. Blend until crush ice is fine.
3. Pour the drink into a glass and serve it with a big smoothie straw.

STORING: It's best to drink the frozen hot chocolate right away.

Allergy Info: This frozen hot chocolate is free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, wheat, legumes (soy), nuts, and fish.

Pineapple Paradise

While I was at my friend's birthday party, I drank what was to me was some sort of juice. I found out later from her aunt that the juice was blended pineapple with added Sprite. Oh boy!!! I haven't had Sprite or any other soda for over five years.

My kids still raved about the pineapple drink so I decided to just wing it and make my version. Instead of Sprite, I added plain cold water. Since I didn't really taste the carbonation in the original drink, I figured water would do the trick.

When I make smoothie or other drinks, I luv adding agave as a sweetener. So adding agave to this drink really adds a touch of sweetness. You decide how sweet you want the drink to be. My version is not super sweet like its original.

My friend's aunt told me that she didn't strain the blended pineapple. I didn't taste the pulps at all. When I blended the pineapple, it came out very frothy. I left the juice as is and my kids didn't voice any complaints. Straining the pulp is optional. Better yet, add ice cubes with a touch of coconut milk and blend to make a pina colada smoothie.

So when it was time to name to drink, I asked Brek to do it. He suggested Pineapple Paradise. You know, like having this drink on a beach... relaxing and sipping. Paradise.

Double or triple the recipes to feed the crowd.

Pineapple Paradise
serve 4

1 pineapple
3/4 to 1 cup cold water
agave to taste

1. Peel and core pineapple then cut it into large chunks.
2. Place them into a blender.
3. Add water.
4. Blend until smooth.
5. Add agave to taste.
6. Chill until ready to serve.

STORING: Keep the pineapple paradise drink in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days. But seriously though. It tastes so good that we always finish it within a day.

Allergy Info: This pineapple paradise is free from dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts, and fish.

Soft Serve Ice Cream

It's summer. It's hot. It's time for something sweet and cold. How about soft serve ice cream.

Last year, I saw a blog post raving about Yonanas, the banana ice cream maker. But for that much money, I just couldn't bring myself to buy one. A few months ago, I came across a recipe for soft serve ice cream which was made with one ingredient: banana.

Basically, process the frozen banana until soft serve ice cream texture is achieved. That's it. Cool, huh?

So I tested it out one day when it was getting warm early in Texas. The frozen banana turned out to be kinda grainy. By adding a little bit of coconut cream, the frozen banana was smooth, just like soft serve ice cream. I didn't even add any sweetener because the banana was already fruity sweet.

Play with the flavors too. I added chunks of homemade cookie dough (from my cookie recipe but minus the egg). One time I just added chocolate chips. I'm pretty sure the choices of the adds-in are endless. I'm planning to make mocha almond fudge ice cream some days. I luv the combination of coffee, almond, and hot chocolate sauce.

I have made a banana ice cream in advance. They won't be a soft serve because they need to sit in the freezer to firm up. But the blending of fresh banana is smooth and no coconut milk or any liquid is needed. I also add various adds-in before freezing it up. Microwave the ice cream for a few seconds to soften the texture.

One more thing. I've noticed frozen banana turned dark brown and didn't look very appetizing. It's better to make and serve this ice cream right away or keep it up to a week.

Soft Serve Ice Cream
make as much as you like

frozen banana, cut into small cubes
coconut cream (optional)
maple syrup or honey to taste (optional)

1. Place the frozen banana in a food processor.
2. Blend until smooth, adding coconut cream 1/2 tablespoon at a time.
3. Serve the ice cream in a cone or cup. Enjoy!!!

STORING: It's best to make and serve this soft serve ice cream right away. But it can be kept in a freezable container in a freezer for up to 1 week. Bring it to a room temperature for about 5 minutes if the ice cream is too hard to scoop.

Allergy Info: This soft serve ice cream is free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts, and fish. I heard that some bananas are gassed to make them ripen after they are picked. People with corn allergy mentioned that this process was making them very sick. So be aware of this when you buy bananas. Try getting organic and call companies for more info. Add the flavors according to your allergy free diet.

Mango Sorbet

I came up with this mango sorbet when Camden asked for a mango ice cream. Mango is one of his favorite fruits. But he said he wanted ice cream without coconut (milk) in it. Well, how on earth was I suppose to make mango ice cream without a type of cream. I searched online and found out that sorbet is a frozen sweet without any egg or cream. Perfect!!!

The type of mango is very important. Don't use the Haden mangoes as they are too firm. Those are better eating raw with meals. Use mangoes with creamy texture. I tested this mango sorbet recipe with Ataulfos mangoes. I made just enough for my kids. But my recipe can be double or triple to feed a big crown. Remember too, it's only one ingredient: mango!!! And no ice cream machine is needed. Easy summer frozen treat.

For more info about mangoes, check out www.mango.org.

Mango Sorbet
serve 4 (or more for tiny tummy like my kids)

3 Ataulfos mangoes

1. Peel the mangoes.
2. Cut the mango meat around the seed. NOTE: No need to be neat. Just get as much meat out as possible. And you or your kids can scrape off the meat from the seed. Deliciously messy!!!
3. Place them in the food processor.
4. Run it until the mango is smooth.
5. Place it in an air tight container in a freezer until frozen, about 4 hours. NOTE: If you double or triple the recipe, tag a few more hours to the freezing time. How about making the mango sorbet ahead by freezing it overnight.
6. Place the mango sorbet out at a room temperature for a few minutes to soften it. Or microwave it for 9 seconds interval until it is easy to scoop. Enjoy!!!

STORING: Keep the mango sorbet in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Allergy Info: This mango sorbet is free from or can be made without dairy, egg, corn, legumes (soy), nuts, wheat, and fish. Seriously, it's just mango!!!

Coconut Yogurt Drink

These days, my Inbox is filled with emails from sites about super foods. I even made a checklist of what foods my kids and I should be eating. Doesn't matter what super foods are out there. I just don't like to eat breakfast. My kids aren't into breakfast either.

I came up with a solution. Even though I don't have an appetite for eggs or pancakes, I have to drink something. I read that coconut water keeps you hydrate. Natural electrolytes. And I know many years ago that probiotics is good for the digestive system, restoring good germs in the guts.

By mixing yogurt and coconut water together, I've been having this breakfast drink nearly every morning. Because of the yogurt, this drink can be really sour. Adding sweetener like agave is optional. I don't add anything to my coconut yogurt drink. One time I blended leftover strawberries and kale. Very good. If you prefer something quick and good for your body morning drink, try coconut yogurt drink.

Not all coconut water are created equal. When buying coconut water, look for "coconut water" as the only ingredient listed. Nothing should be added. No flavorings or vitamins added. For yogurt, use whatever you can tolerant. My kids and I prefer sheep's milk yogurt. Again, be sure the yogurt is plain, no flavorings or preservatives added.

Coconut Yogurt Drink
serving 1

yogurt of choice
coconut water
sweetener: agave or honey (optional)

1. In a tall glass, add one part of yogurt to one part of coconut water. For example, 1/2 cup of yogurt to 1/2 cup of coconut water. TIP: Add more yogurt than coconut water for thicker consistency or vice versa.
2. Add a sweetener to taste.
3. Mix with spoon. Enjoy!!!

Allergy Info: This coconut yogurt drink is free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts (not coconut), and fish.

Icee

The one thing I've learned from being on Camden's allergy free diet is never waste any food. You will see me scrap the last palm shortening with the rubber spatula.

Yes, I am frugal. I've tried to buy almost everything that are on sale and use coupons. I compare prices, research products, and most of the time, I don't buy things on impulse. Most of the time.

Once, I waited so long for a breakfast table to go on sale that the company actually discontinued making it. When I found another breakfast table, I waited for over two years. Finally, I bought it with a discount and free shipping. It was worth the wait. Now I just have to find the chairs to go with it.

The only reason I don't throw away any food is because there are limited choices of clean food in the grocery stores these days. How many brands of baking powder or active dry yeast that are cleaned? Just one brand. So no, I don't like to throw away food. If I can help it, I will find a way to reinvent the food I already have or freeze them up for future cooking.

One time, I bought a cantaloupe from Sprouts Market. Tasted like cantaloupe. Smelled like cantaloupe. Super sweet and juicy. My kids ate... oh not so much of it and didn't want them any more. I thought and thought about what I'd do with the other half of the cantaloupe. What came to mind was making something cold. Maybe a smoothie? Even better, freeze the blended cantaloupe and scrap them into icee. I did this with lemonade before, making it into lemonade icee. Very refreshing in the summer heat.

Now, if you already scan my icee recipe, you probably think, "What? Just one ingredient?" Yup, just one. Cantaloupe. That's it. Since the cantaloupe was already super sweet and juicy, I never had to add water, milk, or sugar. And guess who luv the cantaloupe icee and asked for more? My kids!!! Go figure, right?

For watermelon and coconut-pineapple, I did add a little bit of agave to taste. After the fruits are blended, be sure to taste and add your preferred sweetener to your liking. Feel free to double or triple the ingredients. The icee is an alternative dairy free cold dessert.

Fruit Juice Icee
serve 4, depending on how much you made

watermelon or cantaloupe, seeded and peeled
sweetener (simple syrup, agave, maple syrup, or honey) to taste

1. For each fruit, cut it into cubes.
2. Place them in a blender.
3. Blend until the fruits becomes a smoothie.
4. Add sweetener to taste.
5. Pour the fruit "smoothie" into a freezable container.  NOTE: Casserole dish works well.
6. Freeze for an hour. Then using a fork, scrap the frozen fruits to break them into ice crystals. 
7. Freeze for another 30 minutes and again scrape the frozen fruits with a fork. Repeat this step as needed.
8. Keep frozen until ready to serve.

Coconut-Pineapple Icee (a.k.a Pina Colada)
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup pineapple puree

1. Warm the coconut milk, using a microwave or a stove top.
2. Add the sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Add the pineapple puree.
4. Mix and pour into the freezable container.
5. Freeze for an hour. Then using a fork, scrap the frozen fruits to break them into ice crystals.
6. Freeze for another 30 minutes and again using a fork to scrap the frozen fruits. Repeat this step as needed.
7. Keep the coconut-pineapple icee in the freezer until ready to serve.

Allergy Info: The icee is free from dairy, egg, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts (not coconut), and fish. 

Chocolate Covered Kiwi Pops

I decided that this year, I'd post more recipes coincide with the holidays. With baking, I find it to be a challenge to make desserts appear in pretty holiday-ish color. Without food color, I can only make something brownish looking. Thanks to chocolate chips.

Last month, I made Candied Heart Beets for Valentines. So I was thinking, maybe I should look more into fruits and veggies. For St. Patrick's Day, I started the search for green things in the produce section.

You may have notice juuust a little bit that my favorite color is green. Hence, my blog is in green. I just luv all shades of green. I feel so Zen when I look at green things in nature... except crawly stuff. And there are so many greenish choices in the produce section. Asparagus and lettuce are the obvious ones. But I also found kiwi, and they were on sales. Well, I went through the same dilemma with beets. I bought the kiwi, walked pass them, and just couldn't think of what to do with them. So I searched for images of kiwi desserts. WOW!!! So many!!! The one that caught my eyes what looked like a frozen kiwi covered in chocolate.

Living in Texas, there are days that are warm enough to have something sweet and cold in the winter. I decided to take up the challenge of making chocolate covered kiwi pops. They were pretty easy to make. The time consuming process was waiting for the kiwi slices to freeze up. AND what surprised me the most was that Brek ate the whole pop. Yeah, he did. He didn't like kiwi at all. It was hard for Camden to bite it though. I made a smaller version especially for him.

I'm so glad I found a way to add vitamin C to my kids' diet. These pops are frozen, so they can sit in the freeze for a long, long, long time. Now that's a bonus. They are definitely the perfect summer treats. And this gets me thinking... what other colorful fruits can I experiment with next.

Chocolate Covered Kiwi Pops
makes 6

1 kiwi
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Line a baking tray with a nonstick mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Peel the kiwi then slice it to 1/2 inch thick.
3. Pierce a 3 to 4 inch bamboo skew (or paddle pick) into each kiwi slice.
4. Place the kiwi slices onto the prepared baking tray.
5. Freeze the kiwi slices for 4 hours or overnight.
6. When the kiwi slices are frozen, melt the chocolate chips either in a microwave or on a double boiler.
7. Dip the kiwi slice into the melted chocolate, using a spatula to smooth off the excess.
8. Place the chocolate kiwi pops back onto the baking tray.
9. Freeze for at least 15 minutes before serving. Keep each pop in a sealed plastic bag.

TIP: Right after kiwi is dipped into the chocolate, sprinkle something special such as toasted nuts or chia seeds.

Allergy Info: These chocolate kiwi pops are free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), nuts, wheat, and fish.

Ice Coffee

Can you imagine not having ice coffee for almost 4 years? While I was on Camden's allergy free diet, I really missed the instant ice coffee. The one that came in single serving pouch and all I had to do was mix the granulated instant coffee in a tall glass of milk and add ice cubes.

After Camden outgrew his food intolerant, I added the instant ice coffee to my grocery list. When I found the coffee I had over four years ago, I noticed the packaging changed. It looked pretty.

As a habit, I always read labels. So I went ahead and read the ingredients of this instant ice coffee. What the...!!! 13 ingredients listed and I was able to understand two of them: coffee and milk. The other ingredients were the things from a sci-fi script: dipotassium phosphate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, or silicon dioxide. What the hell was I drinking before I knew how to read labels? Forget the pretty packaging. This is insane.

I still had the ice coffee craving, so I decided to find the cleaned ingredients and make my own version. First, I found grounded coffee. Check. Then I found Organic Valley half and half. Check. But then I spotted their hazelnut flavor. It was the cleanest and best flavor half and half I found. Plus no guar gum.

After making many cups of ice coffee, my coffee maker bit the dust. I'm not really a coffee drinker, so I don't wanna spend money on another coffee maker. So I went back to many grocery stores and found 100% instant granulated coffee. Check.

After all of the dilemma I went through, I can now blog and add ice coffee to my list of something sweeter. Feeling adventurous? Crush the ice cubes using a blender or shave ice using the shave ice machine then add the coffee. Ohhh soooo gooood!!!

Ice Coffee
serves 3

1 1/2 cups (12 oz) water, divided
3 teaspoons instant granulated coffee (365)
1 cup (8 oz) hazelnut half and half (Organic Valley)
lotsa ice cubes

1. In a microwavable cup, warm the 4 ounces of water, about 20 seconds.
2. Add instant coffee and stir until dissolved.
3. Pour the coffee into a bottle or a pitcher.
4. Add the 9 ounces of water.
5. Add the hazelnut half and half and stir until combine. Organic Valley hazelnut half and half is already sweetened with organic cane sugar. Taste the coffee before adding sugar or other sweetener.
6. Fill the tall glass with ice cubes then add the coffee. Enjoy it on a hot day.

Allergy Info: My ice coffee recipe is free from or can be made without eggs, legumes (soy), wheat, and fish. To make it dairy, corn, or nut free, use dairy, corn or nut free milk and/or half and half. Then add the sweetener to your liking. 

Strawberry Ice Cream

After I successfully made coconut ice cream, I decided to venture on making another ice cream flavor. I came across a strawberry ice cream on William Sonoma that doesn't use eggs. Instead, the recipe called for crème fraîche. The author noted that crème fraîche helps the ice cream retains the soft texture which is known as the Philadelphia-style ice cream.

I personally don't like to make custard based ice cream. Too much work. Plus I have to decide what to do with the egg whites that aren't called for in the egg based recipes.

I thought this strawberry ice cream is also perfect cold dessert for anyone who has egg allergy. Unfortunately, when I tested this recipe, the heavy whipping cream in my fridge was about to expired. If you cannot have any cow's milk products, substitute cream with coconut milk and sour cream with sheep's milk yogurt. Add extra sweetener to your liking as the yogurt may be pretty sour.

Strawberry Ice Cream
adapted from William Sonoma's Strawberry and Crème Fraîche Ice Cream
makes half quart

1 cup (8 oz) heaving whipping cream (Organic Valley), divided
1/2 cup (4 oz) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (4 oz) sour cream (Daisy) or vanilla crème fraiche (Vermont Creamery)
2 cups (8 oz) frozen or fresh strawberries (365 Organic frozen)

1. In a large bowl, warm 1/4 cup of the cream in a microwave about 15 seconds.
2. Whisk in sugar until dissolved.
3. In a blender, puree together the sugar mixture, cream, sour cream or crème fraiche, and strawberries, about 30 seconds.
4. Transfer the strawberry cream to a freezable container.
5. Freeze it for two hours and then beat it with a fork.
6. Put it back into the freezer for another 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Allergy Info: This strawberry ice cream is free from eggs, legumes (soy), nuts, wheat, and fish. Some people reported a corn reaction with Organic Valley's and Daisy's products. I'm not sure if any of the Vermont Creamery's products are corn free. Aroy-D coconut milk is corn free. Please let me know if you are able to find alternative corn free ingredients.

Coconut Ice Cream

I luv anything coconut. My mom recently moved in with me and mentioned that she was craving coconut ice cream. BUT she has dairy intolerance. Just like Brek, she doesn't know how much dairy she can tolerant. So I decided to make her some coconut ice cream with as little amount of dairy as possible.

This is a super easy coconut ice cream recipe. There is no needed to use an ice cream maker if making a day ahead.

Adding coconut meat is optional. I don't add them into my coconut ice cream because I prefer smooth texture ice cream. My kids were creative and sprinkled their coconut ice cream with chocolate chips. The possibilities of toppings are endless.

Coconut Ice Cream
serve 4 to 6

1 cup (8 oz) coconut milk (Aroy-D)
1/4 cup (2.3 oz) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (2 oz) heavy whipping cream
1/2 Tablespoon lime juice (from half of a lime)

1. Warm 1/2 cup (4 oz) of coconut milk using a microwave or on a stove top.
2. Whisk in the sugar until it is dissolved.
3. Using a blender, mix together the sugar mixture, heavy cream, and line juice.

Using an ice cream maker

1. Pour the coconut cream mixture into the ice cream maker's freezer bowl.
2. Turn on the machine and allow the coconut cream mixture to churn for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Transfer the coconut ice cream to a freezable container and freeze it for an hour before serving.

Without using an ice cream maker

Coconut Ice Cream

1. Transfer the coconut cream mixture to the freezable container.
2. Freeze the ice cream for an hour.
3. Take out the ice cream and beat it with a fork.
4. Put the coconut ice cream back in the freezer.
5. Freeze it for four hours or overnight before serving.

Note: If the ice cream is frozen solid, leave it out at the room temperature for 15 minutes or microwave it in 10 minutes interval to achieve the soft texture.

Allergy Info: This coconut ice cream is free from eggs, nuts, legumes (soy), wheat, and fish. To make it dairy free, substitute heavy cream with coconut cream. To make this coconut ice cream corn free, use the corn free sugar and cream. Aroy-D coconut milk is corn free as of this writing.

Chocolate Swirl Pops

What was I doing in the kitchen making popsicles in winter? Living in Texas, there are days that feels like summer... hot and humid.

I can't really find ice cream without guar gum or some sort of additives, so I decided to start making my own ice cream. Since I needed to make a cold snack for my kids, I decided to make popsicles.

I just played around with leftover whipping cream and came up with the super simple recipe. It only requires three ingredients. Yup! Just three!

To my surprise, the chocolate swirl pops were perfectly sweet and very creamy. The chocolate gave the unexpected crunch. I luv the mini-sized pops but any pop molds would do. Be warn, they are very addictive.

Chocolate Swirl Pops

makes 12 mini pops

1 cup (8 oz) heavy whipping cream (Organic Valley)

1/4 cup (2 oz) chocolate chips (Enjoy Life)

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar 

1. In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup (2 oz) of the heavy whipping cream and chocolate chips.
2. Microwave the chocolate mixture for 30 seconds.
3. Stir to mix. If the chocolate chips have not melted, microwave for another 10 seconds. Then set aside to cool.
4. In a large bowl, whip 3/4 cup (6 oz) of the heavy whipping cream and sugar on a medium speed until soft peaks form. 
5. Swirl the melted chocolate into the whipped cream with a spatula.
6. With a small cookie scooper, scoop the mixture into the mini candy cups (or pop molds), about 3/4 full.
7. Insert popsicle sticks.
8. Freeze the pops overnight.
9. Peel off the candy cups before serving.

Allergy Info: These chocolate swirl pops are free from or can be made without eggs, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts, and fish. Keep in mind that if you are super sensitive to corn, candy cups are coated with wax and/or lollipop sticks are made with glue which may contain corn. Silicon molds, wooden or bamboo popsicle sticks may be safer alternatives.

Applesauce Smoothie (or Soft Serve Yogurt)

Since Camden couldn't have any of the cow's milk products, I started to look into sheep's milk products. I found manchego sheep's milk cheese at Whole Foods, and I luv it. They don't have that earthy smell like goat cheese. (I gag when I have any goat cheese products.)



Locating sheep's milk yogurt or milk was a challenge. When I saw Old Chathem Sheephearding Company's sheep's milk yogurt at Whole Foods, I was super excited to give it a try. It tasted good... sour. Good sour in so many way. No sugar added for the plain flavor. I wasn't sure if it was corn free though, but Camden ate it with no reactions. For once, it is the only yogurt that I've found with no gum in it.

Getting my kids to eat sheep's milk yogurt is another challenge. Well, they just don't like any type of yogurts. I tried giving yogurt to my kids with various toppings... with fruits, nuts, chocolate, or cookies. You name it. They would only eat the toppings. Go figure! For the passed three weeks, I had two 6 oz containers of sheep's milk yogurt sitting in my fridge. They both were about to expire. What to do? What to do? Smoothie? YES!

Since my kids luv apples, I thought maybe they would like to have apple smoothie. Hmmm... no apples in the fridge. But, wait! Applesauce! Very simple, right? Yup, it was.

Applesauce Smoothie (or Soft Serve Yogurt)
serves 2 small kid-sized cups

2 (4 oz each) unsweetened applesauce, cold (Central Market)
1 (6 oz) sheep's milk yogurt, plain (Old Chathem Sheephearding Company or Bellwether Farms)
1/2 cup small ice cubes
agave, maple syrup, or honey to taste  

1. In a blender, mix together the applesauce, yogurt, ice cubes, and agave.
2. Adjust the sweet taste to your liking.
3. Pour the smoothie into kid-sized cups.

Whipped Topping (dairy and optional)
1/2 cup (4 oz) heavy whipping cream
2 Tablespoons regular sugar
a pitch of ground cinnamon 

1. In a large bowl, whip together the heavy whipping cream and sugar until stiff peaks form.
2. Spoon the whipped cream on top of the smoothie.
3. Sprinkle a pitch of ground cinnamon.
4. Enjoy the smoothie right away or freeze it in a cup for 30 minutes for soft serve yogurt.

Tip: For a thicker smoothie, blend in one frozen banana or 1 Tablespoon Great Lakes Unflavored Gelatin.

Allergy Info: This applesauce smoothie is free from or can be made without eggs, corn, legumes (soy), nuts, wheat, and fish. If dairy whipped cream is not used, then it is also dairy free (from cow's milk).